Arsenal had one of their most consistent performances of the season while also securing a clean sheet and Alexis Sanchez excelled in the number 10 role, scoring a brace to lead his side to the victory.

"I felt really comfortable with [Flamini]. Last year we played some important games together and I think we understand each other well," Arteta said, according to Arsenal's official website.

"We wanted to give a bit more freedom to Alexis, playing a bit behind Danny [Welbeck], more like a 4-4-2, which we haven't played for a while. It worked - I think Alexis did very well today so we're happy for him."

"His confidence is high. Physically he's better, you can see that by the runs he was making in the 93rd minute, [when he] chased the keeper and kept going. That's all about him - he wants to keep going, he wants to improve and he's doing very well," Arteta said.

After a difficult start to the campaign, Arsenal have secure two back-to-back victories, with the Champions League game against Anderlecht and the Sunderland match in the Premier League.

He said: "We need to be consistent now and get the points because you know how difficult it is. You look at Manchester City dropping points, you look at Liverpool dropping points and that tells you how difficult this league has become."